C23

"Ace, how about this—I chop the wood, you light the fire?"

"Are these the three ships?"

"Yes."

"Um... I don't think I can."

…

Back on the Chris, Weiss fell silent as he prepared to deal with the three ships. He had even planned to bring Ace along for the show. But now, Ace was telling him he couldn't handle it?

Ace looked awkward. Just moments ago, he had returned to the ship full of confidence, but now he was muttering like a guilty child. Internally, he was thinking, It's not that I can't… it's just that the targets you picked are way too big! Even if I burn myself out, I couldn't finish the job!

Are three slave ships large? Enormous!

Ace had only obtained the Flame-Flame Fruit two days ago, and his stamina was still too weak to sustain the fruit's explosive power. To one day unleash a single Fire Fist capable of destroying five warships—he still had a long way to go.

…

"You see? You're not ready. That's why physique and Haki are the foundation. Without them, even if your enemy is down, you can't finish the job," Weiss said, no longer pushing Ace. The slave ships in the distance had already begun turning to escape.

"Sigh. Looks like I'll have to swing my sword a few more times."

Weiss had long held onto an idea—a technique he had tested repeatedly. It hadn't yielded perfect results, but it was decent enough. Now, these three ships would be its first real targets.

He jumped onto the rail of the ship, drew his sword from his waist, and the metallic ring of steel echoed through the air. The distant ships seemed to sense the danger and picked up speed, trying to flee faster.

Ace stood beside him, excited. Is he really going to draw his sword? A shame Weiss wasn't on his ship instead.

As for Deuce, he was already on the lookout tower, eagerly watching. This kind of scene wasn't something you saw every day.

Just then, the villagers of Valan Town, having heard explosions by the sea, rushed to the hillside—only to witness a crescent-shaped sword energy slash out from the Chris.

What kind of sword energy was that? It looked as if it could slice through the entire island. Even old Rayser felt relieved he had made the right decision.

Before their eyes, the sword energy split into three, speeding toward the slave ships with terrifying precision. Despite being divided, the slashes lost none of their might—if anything, their power only grew. Each wave cleaved the sea, carving out massive trenches.

There were no strong fighters left on the slave ships. All they could do was stare in horror as the sword energy approached, helpless to stop it.

Crack!

With a thunderous impact, the three slave ships were cleanly cut apart by the flying slashes. Each ship broke in two, slowly sinking into the sea.

The surviving black-clad men clung to floating debris, desperately paddling toward the shore. They didn't care what awaited them on land—only that reaching land meant survival.

"Ace, can you take care of the rest now?" Weiss asked, satisfied with the result. His theory had been confirmed—and the technique could still be improved.

Seeing the wreckage across the sea, Ace nodded confidently. "No problem." Flames flared up around him, and he raised a fiery fist to strike—

"Wait," Weiss suddenly said, a strange look in his eyes as he stared down into the sea. No way… Is this fate?

Before Ace could respond, the ocean began to churn. A massive Sea King rose from the depths.

From the shore, Kadun exclaimed, "I know this guy!"

Thank you, Mother Nature!

Under the terrified gazes of the black-clad men, the sea calmed once more. That was the perk of living near the Calm Belt—make just a bit of noise, and you might attract one of the colossal hermits lurking in the deep.

The onlookers on shore were dumbstruck by the series of events. Their faces frozen, eyes wide, jaws slack—they stared at the now-empty sea.

Who would've thought that just minutes ago, three fully manned ships had been anchored there?

No one cheered. As Weiss climbed the hill, the residents of Valan instinctively stepped back—only Jack's eyes burned with admiration.

So this is what true strength looks like… This is the world of the powerful.

Old Rayser sighed and stepped forward. "You all need to leave. You've killed people from the World Government—they won't let this go. But if you leave now, you might still have time."

"What about you?" Weiss asked, surprised by Rayser's concern. He hadn't expected someone at this point to still worry about strangers.

"We'll take it one step at a time," Rayser replied, silently cursing in his heart. If I could take you down, I would've already done it! Why wait for reinforcements?

As long as someone from Mary Geoise showed up, he could spin a story: pirates from the Grand Line accidentally crossed into the Calm Belt, wiped everyone out, and stole the Heavenly Tribute.

As a Navy officer, he knew full well that such things had happened before.

A flawless plan, he thought smugly. Watertight. Plus, it'll save Valan some money.

I'm a genius.

"But actually, you don't need to worry," Weiss suddenly said. "Those people weren't from Mary Geoise—they were slave traders from Sabaody."

He then explained the intel he had uncovered.

In that final moment, Weiss had sensed that Panama had been lying.

Seeing that Rayser was still unconvinced, Weiss added, "You're a Navy man. Since when does the collection of the Heavenly Tribute happen without a Marine escort? Didn't you notice—there weren't any warships?"

"Why would it take three large ships just to carry the Heavenly Tribute? They weren't transporting gold—they were transporting you." With that, Weiss stopped explaining.

If this old man weren't somewhat kind-hearted, he thought, I'd have left long ago instead of wasting my breath.

Rayeer's expression changed. He wasn't stupid. After some thought and recalling the earlier encounter with the "leader," the pieces began to click. Was I tricked...?

"So… we're still a neutral, unaffiliated island?" A thrill ran through him. Who would choose a life of oppression if they had a chance to live free?

Besides—this wasn't just about survival. There was serious money at stake.

"Well, if there's nothing else, I'll be leaving," Weiss said. "We've already lost time replenishing freshwater."

As Weiss turned to go, Rayser panicked. If it weren't for this young man, Valan would've become a slave island. Just the thought made him shiver.

"Young man, wait—please, stay for a meal before you leave. You've saved Valan Island. This old man, Rayser, asks sincerely."

As Rayser bowed, the surrounding villagers—now aware of the truth—also bowed deeply, pleading for Weiss to stay a while longer.

"…Fine. I guess I can stay," Weiss said after a moment's thought. Finally, something other than peaches to eat.

"Then let's celebrate with a feast!" Rayser shouted.

Cheers erupted, and none were louder than Jack's.

---

Currently at chapter 135 on Ko-Fi

https:// ko-fi.com/sami27